Language is often politicized, especially in the context of social justice work. USA Today's "feminist glossary" inspired us to gather our notes. Be sure to check back for more entries soon!
accomplice
Because “ally” has become a privileged identity that people claim for themselves without doing the work of interrupting and dismantling oppression, we prefer to use "accomplice." An accompliceship model calls on the privileged group to actively share their power and take on more risk than oppressed groups. It moves folks from saying they are not transphobic, homophobic, racist, etc. to actively joining and participating in the movement.
birth justice
Birth Justice exists when people of all ages and genders and their partners (if applicable) are empowered during their pregnancy, labor, and postpartum to make healthy decisions for themselves, their babies, and their families. Birth Justice means something different to everyone.
chest/breastfeeding
includes transgender and gender non-conforming parents, rather than "breastfeeding"
cisgender
a gender identity of a person who identifies with the gender or sex assigned to them at birth
condoms
We use both internal/external and male/female at the same time, but prioritize internal/external first, e.g. "This is an external condom, sometimes known as a male condom. We say external because not everyone who uses these condoms is male."
consent
Copyright © 2015 Emmeline May and Blue Seat Studios
Consent is an agreement to engage in a sexual activity. Consent must be asked for by the person initiating the sexual contact, and must be given clearly, unambiguously, enthusiastically, and freely. In other words, the person giving consent should not feel threatened or pressured into giving consent. Consent may be given as a clear “yes” or through enthusiastic actions. It can be reversed at any time during the sexual encounter, and giving consent to a partner once does not mean that they automatically have your consent the next time you engage in sexual activities together.
disability justice
Disability justice challenges the idea that an individual's worth has to do with their ability to perform as productive members of society and insists that value is inherent in all beings. Like transformative justice, reproductive justice, and environmental justice, it implies a movement-building strategy.
“Simply put, feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.”
feminism
the belief that persons of all genders, regardless of social identity or background, deserve the same political, social, and sexual rights
gender-inclusive/all gender
not "gender-neutral"
gender non-conforming
not "other," "both," or "neither;" see NON-BINARY
homosexual
Use the term gay or lesbian rather than homosexual. While homosexual is a factually accurate term, it is also very loaded. Homosexuality was listed for many years as a psychological disorder and was only removed from the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973, with all mention of other related issues (such as ego-dystonic homosexuality) in 1987.
intersectional
a term used to describe that an individual’s identity is not singular, but rather a combination of intersecting identities and roles that assume a unique set of experiences, challenges, and privileges
intersectional feminism
feminism that includes and advocates for women of all backgrounds and identities in order to eradicate every oppression that falls on women; this distinction is made in response to the largely white, middle class feminist movement of the 20th century
intimate justice
framework for acknowledging how social identities and social stigma affect one’s perception of sexual satisfaction and "deserved" intimacy
Latinx
not "Latina," "Latino," "Latina/o," "Latin@," or "Hispanic"
LGBTQQIA+
not LGBT or LGBTQ
lifestyle
Refers to the manner in which a person lives her or his life. There is no such thing as a heterosexual lifestyle. Heterosexual people live very diverse lives. They have all different kinds of jobs. They are in short- and long-term relationships, they marry, they divorce, they have children, they travel, etc. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people also lead very diverse lives. They have all different kinds of jobs. They are in short- and long-term relationships. They have children, travel, etc. “Lifestyle” is a term that often comes from a media depiction of one portion of gay male life, which does not match all gay male realities. However, since they are less visible, what we see stays with us. This is how stereotypes begin and how they stick.
mansplain
when a man explains something to a woman in a particularly patronizing way, regardless of his expertise on the subject
misogyny
a prejudice against women
misandry
a prejudice against men
nonbinary
denoting or relating to a gender or sexual identity that is not defined in terms of traditional binary oppositions such as male and female or homosexual and heterosexual; nonbinary individuals may not identify with either gender, find themselves between the two, or consider the binary too restricting
patriarchy
a system which gives power to men and excludes & disenfranchises women, promoting sexism and misogyny
People/Folks/Everyone
not "guys," "ladies," or "gentlemen"
PNA
The Parental Notification of Abortion Law in Illinois requires that women under the age of 18 seeking an abortion must notify an adult family member before she may obtain the abortion. The adult family member does not need to give permission for the abortion, only notified of it. Organizations like ICAH and the ACLU stand against PNA because many women seeking abortions do not have an adult they can trust and live in the fear of abuse, being kicked out of the house, or being forced to carry out the pregnancy against their will. If a woman seeking an abortion would like to bypass the notification, she may attempt doing so in court. For more information and to sign a petition against PNA, visit stoppna.org. Download this article from Emory Law Journal to learn more about how PNA is harmful (pages 1018-1022).
privilege
Privilege is an unearned advantage and stability that an individual may receive due to one or more of their social identities. It is grounded in the oppression of marginalized people and groups. Privilege can take many shapes and forms. Examples: being able to hold hands with your partner in public without fear of ridicule or harassment, being able to see representation of your skin color and culture in every media outlet, being able to make mistakes without it reflecting on your entire race or religion, getting school off for your religious holidays, learning about your heritage in history class, simply feeling welcome in any social or institutional setting, or being able to afford applications for college.
pro-feminist
Pro-feminists are allies of the feminist movement, often men. This term was coined to address the fact the men can never fully grasp or understand the daily oppression of women but are supporters of the cause to end that oppression.
pronouns
not "preferred gender pronouns" or "PGPs"
reproductive justice
"The human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent children we have in safe and sustainable communities." --Sister Song
Read our full post on Reproductive Justice.
racial justice
the effort toward equity across races, achieved through proactive policy, practice, and action; racial justice is essential in repairing the oppression that followed the displacement of indigenous people and enslavement of people of color
safer space
not "safe space"
sexism
stereotyping and discriminating against a woman
sexual choice
Implies that someone chooses to be lesbian, gay, or bisexual. We will often hear people who are trying to understand lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals say, “Whatever you choose to do is your business.” However, we do not say this about heterosexual individuals.
sexual preference
Implies that a person would consider someone of a different gender than the one to which they are attracted. For example, if I prefer blueberry pie to pumpkin pie, that means that I would, on occasion, consider having some pumpkin pie. If, however, I do not like pumpkin pie at all, don’t find it even remotely appealing, and would never consider eating it, I do not prefer blueberry pie. I’m just a blueberry pie person.
sex worker
not "prostitute" or "hooker," with respect for all people’s professions/labor
STIs or Sexually Transmitted Infections
not "STDs" or "sexually transmitted diseases"
survivor-focused language/sexual violence
do not use "victim," "sexual assault," or "rape"
SWERF
Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminist describes a type of feminist whose policies, views, and attitudes exclude or harm sex workers. In general, these feminists are not sex positive and oppose sexual agency.
TERF
Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist describes a type of feminist whose policies, views, and attitudes exclude or harm trans people. Often this type of feminist doesn’t believe that transgenderism is real or sees it as inferior to being cis.
they
Do not use “they” just because you don’t know a person’s pronouns. Use their name if you don’t know their pronouns.
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 declares that no educational program (including school athletics) that receives federal funding may discriminate against or exclude persons based on their sex. It has since been expanded to ensure a fair approach to sexual harassment and assault. Check out this video to hear how Title IX has made an impact in school settings.
transfeminism
a feminist movement that focuses on the liberation of trans women as unique and necessary to the feminist movement at large; it is enlightened by trans experiences and trans politics
TRANS/transgender
Use only as an adjective; do not use "trans*" or "transgendered." Transgender is a term used to describe the gender identity of a person who does not exclusively identify or define themselves by the sex assigned to them at birth. Transgenderism may take many different expressions, from adopting the appearance of the gender they identify with, to changing one’s hormonal makeup, or if none of the above are accessible, simply being self-aware of their ‘new’ gender identity.
“Womanist is to feminist as lavender is to purple…. Womanism is simply another shade of feminism. It helps give visibility to the experience of black women and other women of color who have always been at the forefront of the feminist movement yet marginalized and rendered invisible in historical texts and the media.”
trigger
a stimulus, like a conversation or a movie scene, that initiates feelings of trauma
victim-blaming
Victim-blaming occurs when a victim or survivor of a crime is held responsible. It's often used in the context of sexual assault and takes form in questions/comments like, “What was the victim wearing?” or, “How much had they had to drink?” or, “They were flirting them all night, what did they think was going to happen?”
woke
to be aware of social and political current events and attentive to their impacts on the community
womanism
a feminist movement that prioritizes the needs of black women; the term, movement, and identity were coined by Alice Walker as a response to the 20th century feminism that attended more to white women
Young parents/pregnant and parenting youth (PPY)
not "teen parents," "teen mom," or "teen dad"
youth/young people
not "teens," "teenagers," "children," or "kids"